Conventional disposable absorbent articles have typically employed adhesive fastening tapes for securing the article on a wearer. Such articles have also been constructed with interengaging mechanical fasteners, such as snaps, buckles, and hook-and-loop fasteners. Particular articles have included a fastening system which has extended along substantially the entire length of an ear section of the article. Other fastening systems have included strips or segmented sections of adhesive which have been arranged to extend along a portion of the length of the article ear section. In still other systems, the strips or segmented sections have been composed of selected mechanical fastener components, such as individual sections of hook material or loop material. Additionally, combinations of adhesive fasteners and mechanical fasteners have been employed.
Conventional mechanical fasteners have been composed of hook-and-loop fasteners, and various types of hook materials, such as inverted-J shaped, T-shaped and generally mushroom-shaped hooks have been employed. Such conventional fastening systems have also employed tapered fastening tabs where the attaching area on the user's end is relatively wide at its inboard region adjacent the longitudinally extending sides of the diaper, and is tapered to a more narrow width at its more remote distal end. Still other fastener tabs have incorporated bell-shaped fastening areas where the attaching area on the user's portion of the tab is shaped to be relatively narrow at an inboard region adjacent the longitudinally extending sides of the diaper, and to be wider at its more remote distal end.
Conventional fasteners and fastening systems, such as those described above, have not provided adequate levels of reliable securement and ease of unfastening. The conventional fastening systems have not provided a sufficient capability to accommodate the stresses imposed on the article by a wearer, while also providing a desired ease of unfastening after the article has been worn. When constructed and arranged to generate the desired levels of reliable securement, the conventional fasteners have been excessively difficult to unfasten for inspection or removal of the worn article. The difficulty can become especially apparent with mechanical fasteners after the fasteners have been in use for an extended period of time. As a result, the conventional fastening systems have not provided desired combinations of comfort, ease of fastening, strong securement, and ease of unfastening.